The China National Traditional Orchestra performs at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing on Wednesday with pieces dedicated to the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympic Games. [Photo provided to China Daily]
Traditional orchestra highlights inclusive spirit of the Games, Chen Nan reports.
The China National Traditional Orchestra played at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing on Wednesday in a concert celebrating the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games.
Under the baton of Liu Sha, the orchestra, founded in 1960 and known for its traditional folk music, performed pieces embodying the Olympic spirit during the concert, which was themed "Together for a Shared Future".
"The music works we performed during the concert appeal to audiences of all ages," says Liu. "There are classic pieces as well as new pieces dedicated to the Beijing Winter Olympic Games."
One of the most popular works performed in the concert was Snowy Mountains for bamboo flute, suona and the orchestra. Performed by suona player Feng Xiaoquan and bamboo flutist Zeng Gege, the work, composed by Feng, has been an audience favorite since it was premiered two decades ago.
The orchestra also performed classic pieces, including Good News From Beijing Reaches the Frontier, which was composed by Zheng Lu and Ma Hongye and premiered in 1976, as well as Jasmine Flower composed by Liu Wenjin.
Former rhythmic gymnast Zheng Qianyue, who is now a coach, and Zhang Yuhan, a freestyle swimmer, who won gold in the 400-meter freestyle swimming at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, also participated in the concert by reciting a poem titled Together for a Shared Future, to music performed by the orchestra.
Conductor Liu Sha. [Photo provided to China Daily]
As the year 2022 is the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese lunar calendar, the orchestra performed a well-known Chinese folk piece, Flying Dragon and Leaping Tiger, composed by Li Minxiong, featuring percussionist Li Wenbo, which brought a sense of happiness and vibrancy while celebrating the new year.
"With the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games starting in a few weeks, people from around the world are gearing up for the grand event. With music, we want to send our wishes to the athletes," says Zhao Cong, veteran pipa player, who is the president of China National Traditional Orchestra.
"The Games will kick off during the traditional Chinese New Year holiday－Spring Festival. Traditional Chinese music always brings a happy and auspicious atmosphere, which fits well into the traditional Chinese festival," Zhao adds.
She notes that the orchestra spent about three months preparing for the concert.
"The sounds of traditional Chinese musical instruments are very expressive and versatile. For example, the pipa, a four-stringed plucked instrument with a history of more than 2,000 years, can produce a variety of sounds, such as that of falling snow," Zhao says.
The pipa player was born and brought up in Northeast China's Jilin province, which is known for its winter tourism. She composed and performed a new piece, Melody of the Winter, which is dedicated to the upcoming Games.
She combined elements such as rock and electronic music into this new piece, which she performed during the opening gala of the 22nd Meet in Beijing International Arts Festival and the Meet in Beijing Olympic Culture Festival on Jan 6 in Beijing.
Suona player Feng Xiaoquan (front, right) and bamboo flutist Zeng Gege (front, left) at the concert. [Photo provided to China Daily]
During the gala, the China National Traditional Orchestra and Suzhou Symphony Orchestra performed a fusion of classical symphonic and traditional music under the baton of Chen Xieyang.
The China National Traditional Orchestra's concert on Wednesday at the NCPA is part of the ongoing series of concerts launched by the venue to welcome the Beijing Winter Olympic Games. From Jan 7 to Tuesday, top Chinese artists and 10 Chinese performing art groups are playing works highlighting the Olympic spirit.
On Jan 7, China NCPA Orchestra and Central Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra performed together under the baton of Lyu Jia, with a music program that included Antonin Dvorak's Carnival Overture, Vivaldi's Winter from the composer's The Four Seasons and an adaptation of You and Me, the theme song for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, which was originally performed by Chinese singer-songwriter Liu Huan and British singer Sarah Brightman.
The China National Symphony Orchestra and the China National Opera House Symphony Orchestra presented Beethoven's Symphony No 9 on Jan 15 and Sunday.
The Beijing Symphony Orchestra will welcome the Chinese New Year with Johann Strauss' Voices of Spring, and Dance of the Golden Snake, a classic piece for Chinese New Year, on Tuesday.
